Alabama Crimson Tide
Positive: As has been their reputation for the past decade, Alabama will have a superb rushing attack. TJ Yeldon, Kenyan Drake, and Derrick Henry are all incredibly talented. If they were not all on the same team at the same time, they would all have starting jobs.
Yeldon is a solid work horse with power and leg drive that ought to be respected. Drake is a quicker, more athletic running back that acts as a wonderful change of pace. Last but not least, Henry is a freakish athlete hat possesses both great strength and speed. His youth may force him to take fewer reps, but Henry is arguably the most talented running back in college football. Likewise, Alabama's offensive line is one of the best in the SEC, lead by left guard Arie Kouandjio. They have lost left tackle Cyrus Kouandjio because he went pro, but the rest of the line is intact and ready to beat down on their opponents.
Negative: Alabama may have a nasty front seven, but their back four is a mess. The two starting cornerbacks, Cyrus Jones and Bradley Sylve, will be mediocre at best. Star safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is now in the NFL, leaving Geno Smith to be the starting free safety.
Smith is not the level of talent that Clinton-Dix was and will surely be a downgrade. The only above average player in Alabama's defensive backfield will be strong safety Landon Collins, who still needs to work out some kinks as a coverage player.
Arkansas Razorbacks
Positive: With the plethora of talented running backs in the SEC, the running back pair of Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams often goes under the radar. Collins is the feature back and is a hard-nosed runner that could plow a linebacker over at any given time. As if that alone were not scary, Collins has enough speed and quickness to flow in and out of traffic or break off a huge run. Williams is a more balanced running back that serves well as a relief option for Collins. Williams is not the star that Collins is, but plenty of colleges would want Williams as their starting running back.
Negative: There is no beating around the bush about Brandon Allen. He is not a good quarterback. Allen was arguably the least competent SEC quarterback last year. He could not be depended upon, which lead to having to run the ball more often, which lead to a predictable offense, and so on. As long as Allen is the starting quarterback, Arkansas will have offensive struggles.
Auburn Tigers
Positive: Though Greg Robinson and Tre Mason took their talents to the NFL, Auburn will still have a top notch offense. Head coach Gus Malzahn and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee are offensive geniuses. Assuming quarterback Nick Marshall has become a more refined passer over the off-season, Malzahn will be able to implement more passing tendencies into the offense. After all, dominant passing attacks are how Malzahn got his rep. Wide receiver Sammie Coates also makes passing a bit easier as he is an athletic speedster with big play ability. In regards to Auburn's rushing attack, Malzahn's concepts will maximize Marshall's, Corey Grant's, and Cameron Artis-Payne's talents.
Negative: Auburn may have a couple of defensive line studs in Carl Lawson and Montravius Adams, but their defensive backfield is a recipe for disaster. Their safety duo is one of the worst in the SEC and one of their starting cornerbacks from last season is now in the NFL. Auburn's pass rushers will have to be especially dominant in order to make up for the unavoidable blown coverages.
Florida Gators
Positive: Despite the loss of Cody Riggs, who was a starting safety last year, Florida's defensive backs are arguably the best in the SEC. Vernon Hargreaves is one of the most talented cornerbacks in the nation and had a phenomenal freshman year. Opposite of him will be likely be Jalen Tabor, who was one of the most sought after 2014 cornerback prospects. At safety, Marcus Maye and Jabari Gorman are set to start. Gorman has been a solid rotational player and should be ready to take on a starting role. Maye is a hard-hitting enforcer, as is Florida's reputation to have one of those types at safety.
Negative: Jeff Driskel. Talent at the offensive skill positions is certainly there, as is offensive line talent, but Driskel will hold the offense back. Many have claimed that Kurt Roper's offense is a perfect fit for Driskel, but regardless of the system, the mental deficiencies and mediocre passing ability of Driskel will still be there.
Georgia Bulldogs
Positive: Georgia’s running back depth is absurd. Todd Gurley has made a name for himself over the course of the past two years and will be the starter. Keith Marshall, who has quietly been one of the better running backs in the SEC, will be Gurley’s relief. To complete the trio, sophomore JJ Green showed out when both Gurley and Marshall were injured last season. Unless some sort of mass plague of injuries riddles Georgia’s running back roster, their offense will be high powered.
Negative: Every off-season, some players find themselves being kicked off of their football program. Unfortunately, Georgia had to excuse safety Josh Harvey-Clemons from the team. Typically, a single transfer is not too detrimental, but Harvey-Clemons is one of the best safeties in the country. His lack of presence will be noticeable.
Kentucky Wildcats
Positive: Though Kentucky is a lowly team that is often dominated by other SEC teams, at the very least, they have a vicious pair of edge rushers to rely on. Alvin “Bud” Dupree and Za’Darius Smith are two different pass rushers that compliment each other well. Dupree is the speed demon that will bend the edge to get to the quarterback. Smith is the stronger, more violent type that directly attacks linemen to beat them.
Negative: It is tough to pinpoint a specific weakness in Kentucky’s offense because it is flawed as a whole. Kentucky’s rushing attack is average at best, especially since their second leading rusher graduated. At quarterback, Maxwell Smith is the starter, but has struggled against any sort of tough competition. On a tangent to both, Kentucky’s offensive line can not keep up with the superior athletes of the rest of the SEC.
LSU Tigers
Positive: Like many other SEC teams, LSU’s running back roster is stacked. Terrence McGee, who was a solid backup last year, is set to be the starter. In relief of McGee, Kenny Hilliard and Leonard Fournette will split carries. That being said, Fournette was arguably the best running back recruit since Adrian Peterson and will certainly earn his way up the depth chart quickly. In front of the talented running backs is a violent offensive line that thrives as run blockers.
Negative: More so than other SEC teams, LSU is losing a ton of starters. They lost four starters to the NFL and another, Jalen Mills, was suspended indefinitely. As if replacing the graduates was not hard enough, replacing Mills will be tough and a hassle. Mills is one of the better young cornerbacks in college football, and a suspension is upsetting.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Positive: Nick Marshall got plenty of hype because of Auburn’s run at the national championship, but Dak Prescott may be a better version of Marshall. Athletically, the two are similar, but at this point in their respective development, Prescott is a better passer. With the loss of a handful of offensive starters, the program will be even more dependent on Prescott, but he is a gifted athlete that will, at the least, sustain the success Mississippi State has recently had.
Negative: Aside from Prescott, the Mississippi State offense is a wreck. Their best lineman, leading rusher, and right tackle have all moved on. As if the offense were not already inept with them, it will be a major struggle for Prescott to keep the team afloat.
Missouri Tigers
Positive: Good quarterback play is key to winning, but so is making sure that the other team does not have that luxury. Kony Ealy and Michael Sam were a publicized duo last year, but next season, Markus Golden and Shane Ray will outplay them. Both Golden and Ray were underclassmen last year (Ray still is), which is why they did not play as much, but now that the starting job is theirs, SEC quarterbacks out to be shaking in their cleats.
Negative: Just like the Josh Harvey-Clemons expulsion, Missouri’s star player was asked to leave the program as well. Dorial Green-Beckham was stunning to watch last season and drew plenty of Calvin Johnson comparisons. Green-Beckham’s involvement in a burglary case, as well as previous marijuana troubles, was enough to get him dismissed from the program. Without him, sophomore quarterback Maty Mauk will be forced to take the game into his own hands.
Ole Miss Rebels
Positive: What use are pass rushers if they are injured throughout the year? Last season, Robert Nkemdiche and CJ Johnson, Ole Miss’ two best pass rushers, battled injuries throughout the season and struggled to ever truly get into a rhythm. Johnson being healthy means that they will once again have an edge threat. Unlike Johnson, Nkemdiche is an interior player, but interior pressure is arguably more important than edge pressure, which means that a healthy Nkemdiche, a former No.1 overall recruit, will be huge.
Negative: Bo Wallace, “the next Johnny Manziel” as some had said early on, is still the starting quarterback. Ole Miss does not necessarily have a better option than Wallace at the moment, but Wallace is not a good quarterback. He is a reckless passer that struggles to hit wide open receivers. There is a case to be made that Wallace is the worst returning quarterback in the SEC.
South Carolina Gamecocks
Positive: The Gamecocks 2013 starting quarterback Connor Shaw is not returning, but two of the talented skill players around him will be. Running back Mike Davis is a stud athlete that can carry the team (or players of the other team) into the end zone. Wide Receiver Shaq Roland is a vertical threat with a stunning catch radius and knack for making acrobatic catches.
Negative: Having a serviceable defensive line in the SEC is necessary. Last year, the Gamecocks had that, but three of the four starters will not be returning, including recent first overall pick Jadeveon Clowney. Kelcy Quarless and Chaz Sutton, who were two fine collegiate level players, are the other two starters not returning to the program. In the SEC, fresh meat among the opposing defensive line means it is time to run the ball, run the ball, and then run the ball some more.
Tennessee Volunteers
Positive: Whereas most SEC teams have stacked running back rosters, Tennessee’s wide receiver corps is loaded. Marquez North is a true No.1 type that can go up and fight for the ball. Pig Howard is a smaller, more agile receiver that is used to get quick, easy yards. Lastly, Jason Croom completes the corps as an average sized receiver that is used as a do-it-all type.
Negative: It seldom happens, but Tennessee lost their entire starting offensive line. No matter the level of competition, that is a serious issue. Having that much inexperience along the offensive line is a flashing light encouraging defensive coordinators to blitz as often as possible. In regards to Tennessee’s passing offense, they will likely have one of the highest sack totals in the SEC. In terms of their rushing attack, Marlin Lane will struggle to find anything that even somewhat resembles a rushing lane.
Texas A&M Aggies
Positive: The Aggies will be starting a freshman quarterback, but their offense will still be tough to stop. Ricky Seals-Jones is going to be Mike Evans’s replacement, and a good one at that. To compliment Seals-Jones perfectly, Speedy Noil is a small receiver will beat teams with something in his name: speed. At running back, Tra Carson and both the Williams’ (Trey and Brandon) will be a carousel of dominant rushing. To bolster both groups, A&M’s offensive line is filled with future NFL stars, including Cedric Ogbuehi and Germain Ifedi.
Negative: Recent recruiting has gone well for A&M’s defense, but the current starters are incompetent. A&M’s pass rushing capability is laughable, their linebackers take horrendous angles in space, and their defensive backfield is mediocre. The future of the A&M defense is bright, but the near future is still dark and gloomy.
Vanderbilt Commodores
Positive: The emergence of Jerron Seymour is coming. Now, that has something to do with Austyn Carta-Samuels no longer being the quarterback, but nonetheless, Seymour is set to make a name for himself. Seymour is a red zone master. In 2013 alone, Seymour found the end zone 14 times through the ground despite only having racked up 716 yards on 164 carries. With Seymour having gotten more and more playing time as the year went on, he will be ready to take on the full time starting job.
Negative: Where to start? They have lost their head coach James Franklin, their starting quarterback, their two leading receivers, and their entire defensive backfield. Simply put, Vanderbilt is a trainwreck. It is tough to find anything positive on Vanderbilt’s roster. After having finally had a few solid years, Vanderbilt could find themselves at the bottom of the SEC again.